Scores of consumers in the UK are looking to replace their standard desktop PCs and laptops with a tablet, but the majority won't be willing to do so until their price drops significantly.

That's an amalgamation of the stats lifted from YouGov's latest sweep of consumers across the land, with the body claiming many still see tablets as niche products, despite the threat they represent to the standard PC market.

Market watch

YouGov's TabletTrack study claims approximately one in twelve tablet owners - or 8 percent - purchased a heir device either instead of, or to replace, a desktop computer, laptop or other computer.

The firm breaks down those figures further, adding that 11 percent of Galaxy Tab owners purchased their device instead of a computer, with 7 percent of iPad owners doing the same.

"YouGov believes the proportion of consumers choosing to purchase tablets substituting for laptops, desktop computers and netbooks is expected," the body said of its findings.

"The launch of newer, cheaper tablets throughout 2011 will further boost this increase."

But while tablets are hitting sales of PCs and laptops, YouGov believes they still have some way to go before they expand beyond their 'niche' base.

The price is wrong

The firm's findings suggest 13 percent of UK consumers are 'seriously considering buying a tablet' (16 percent of which are looking to substitute a laptop, 8 percent a netbook), but YouGov believes £250 is the ultimate price point for the tablet market.

"Using price modelling analysis amongst 2,000 nationally representative adults who do not own a tablet, YouGov found that the optimal price point for tablets is £250 amongst hot prospects," the company concluded.

"The methodology used for this analysis was exactly the same that two years ago predicted e-reader sales taking off at the £100 price point. The Amazon Kindle currently retails at a base price of £111."

Given the cheapest iPad comes in at the £399 mark and Galaxy Tab £299, it will be some time before tablets hit the mainstream market by YouGov's reckoning.